The Grand Budapest Hotel maintained its box office magic over in its third weekend following an expansion, even as a slew of newcomers bowed with mixed results.

Lars von Trier’s much ballyhooed and anticipated Nymphomaniac: Vol. I culminated with a 25 theater bow this weekend, grossing a so-so $175K for a $7K theater average. Magnolia noted the film, the first part of two Nymphomaniac films (the next opens in theaters April 4) has already been available via VOD and digital platforms, so conceivably a sizable portion of audiences may have wanted to experience the romp in the privacy of home.

On a straight theatrical comparison, Magnolia opened LVT’s previous film Melancholia in 19 theaters, grossing over $257K for a $13,535 PTA in November 2011. Melancholia went on to cume just over $3.03M domestically. Still, his 2009 release Antichrist opened in just 6 theaters in October 2009, averaging $11,900 ($404,122 domestic cume). Magnolia noted Sunday reporting its Nymphomaniac numbers: “The first volume of Nymphomaniac finally opened after months of buildup and anticipation – from audiences and from us. It did well across the country and lived up to our expectations for it. Combined with a really great VOD take so far, it’s a winner. We’re excited about Volume II, which is on VOD now and in theaters April 4.” On the other end of the spectrum, Freestyle Releasing’s God’s Not Dead blitzed the box office with $8.9M in 780 theaters; read more on that in Anita Busch’s mainstream b.o. report.

But it was still a Wes Anderson weekend. The Grand Budapest Hotel continues to welcome a treasure-trove of crowds as it expanded its reach in its third weekend. The Fox Searchlight release grossed a dazzling $6.75M, averaging a cool $22,204. The number is even more impressive when comparing Wes Anderson vs Wes Anderson. Moonrise Kingdom, his 2012 box office star, played a comparatively smaller 96 theaters in its third weekend, averaging $16,443 and a three week cume at that point of $3.276M. To date, Grand Budapest has totaled $12,960,519. Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums remains his biggest box office grosser to date in theaters, taking in more than $52.3M domestically in 2001. Searchlight SVP said Sunday: “We are seeing large audiences beyond the art house and Specialized crowd, and have definitely begun to cross over into the mainstream. This is evidenced by the great grosses in many of the suburban multiplexes we took this weekend. Younger fans and 1st time Wes Anderson filmgoers are beginning to check into The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The distributor said it plans to expand the film to 800-plus theaters next weekend, reaching “virtually every regional market in the country.” There will also be additional areas opening the film on April 4.

Among other weekend newcomers, Samuel Goldwyn’s doc Anita by Oscar-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock bowed in seven theaters in New York, L.A. and the Bay Area in the wake of a media blitz by subject Anita Hill leading up to the film’s release. It grossed $44,382 for a $6,340 PTA from showings, which included Q&As from Ms. Hill, New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson (she co-wrote a book at the center of the film’s topic,: Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas) and others. Goldwyn noted the film had “multiple sell-outs on Friday and Saturday. It will head to Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta April 4.”

Millennium took crime drama Rob The Mob into a single location this weekend. The film, which closed the recent Miami International Film Festival grossed $11,626. Millennium Entertainment noted this from CEO Bill Lee Sunday as it reported numbers: “We’re so pleased and excited about this weekend’s grosses. By going exclusive in NY we were able to hone in on the home-town audience who indeed turned out. This is a great launch for the film. With the support of great reviews, great buzz and great word of mouth we have full confidence that as we expand to LA and Chicago this coming Friday, we will continue to have solid results.”

Drafthouse Films cashed in on Cheap Thrills in limited release. In two theaters, the film grossed over $19K for a $9,533 PTA. The company touted the theatrical number considering its cable VOD release a month ago. Thrills, a dark comedy from E.L. Katz starring Pat Healy and Ethan Embry, also debuted on digital platforms this weekend. Said Drafthouse: “We’re just under $10k average and played to many sold out showings in LA and Austin this weekend, Great word of mouth and a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score helped push the film out successfully on multiple platforms. We anticipate rolling the films out with more success to at least 30 markets nationwide.”

Variance Films opened It Felt Like Love in a single location, grossing $8K at IFC Center. The distributor suggested the take might have been higher had the title played with more times and in a larger venue. Said Variance reporting its gross Sunday: “More accurately, [It Felt Like Love played] on one-half a screens with just three showings a day and only two in the evening. We simply ran out of seats, with multiple advance sell-outs. Alas, both the laws of physics and the NYC Fire Code unfortunately still apply, even at the gorgeous IFC Center.” The feature will expand in NYC and open in Los Angeles next Friday.

Among other second weekend holdovers, Focus Features added 172 theaters for the second weekend of Jason Bateman’s feature Bad Words, holding solid from its bow in just six locations last week, coming out of its SXSW Film Festival debut. It grossed a solid $500K for a $5,747 PTA. Noted Focus Sunday: “This weekend’s limited run results puts the film in a position to continue generating strong word of mouth as it expands across North America next weekend.” It will take Bad Words to 600 North American theaters on March 28, representing over 100 markets including Canada en route to a wide release.

A24 expanded Enemy into 95 additional theaters in its second round, holding decently. It grossed over $206K for a $2,148 average. It opened in one theater with $18K. It has cumed $554,099 in two weeks. Cohen Media Group is cashing in decently on French-language film On My Way with Catherine Deneuve. It expanded the film to 20 theaters, grossing $55,394 for a $2,770 PTA. It bowed March 14 in a single theater, grossing $10,536. Music Box Films moved British pic Le Week-end into 22 additional theaters, holding solid as it grossed nearly $141K for a $5,636 average. It opened in three theaters, grossing $45K ($15K PTA) last week. Abramorama added two theaters for Big Men in its second frame, grossing $6,612, for a $3,204 PTA. It opened in a single theater, grossing over $9K last week.

In its third weekend, SPC doubled the number of showings for The Lunchbox. It grossed almost $190K from 18 runs, averaging $5,266. Sundance Selects added 5 theaters for doc Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, grossing $26,650 ($650 PTA in 41 theaters). And Particle Fever moved into an additional 7 locations in its third frame, grossing $86,150, averaging a healthy $4,102 and a $324K-plus three-week cume.

Among big Oscar-winners, Searchlight’s 12 Years A Slave played 522 theaters, 403 from the previous weekend. It grossed $445K for an $852 PTA and a 23 week cume of $56,035,585. Dallas Buyers Club passed a cumulative threshold in its 21-weekend theatrical run. It grossed $156 ($876 PTA) and a cume just passing $27 million.

3 Comments

Hmm most of these numbers are pretty terrible. Too bad that good movies for adults like LE WEEKEND are flopping. Too many movies opening every Friday!

Anonymous • on Mar 23, 2014 9:58 am

We saw Cheap Thrills this weekend at one of the sold out shows. Haven’t felt a crowd react that strongly to a film from moment to moment since Gravity. People will come to the theater for independent films if you give them a reason to. A movie needs needs to play with a crowd, otherwise why not just watch it at home? Here’s hoping more people give this one a chance in a theater.

SMH • on Mar 23, 2014 9:58 am

Why would anyone go to the theatre to see a movie like Nymph when it’s available VOD.